


Clothes Encounters

by dapperpepper



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hair Braiding, the laundromat AU no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 16:10:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15610032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dapperpepper/pseuds/dapperpepper
Summary: A chance meeting at the laundromat leaves Link and Zelda in possession of mixed feelings... and each other’s laundry bags.





	Clothes Encounters

The laundromat was an arctic tundra and Link was cursing himself for not bringing a sweater with him. Or at least one that wasn’t currently tumbling in the washer and covered in soy sauce.

At least it smelled good, he supposed- like floral soap and the faint sting of bleach. He was eager to see how well this new detergent he recently purchased worked. Unfortunately his previous experiment with the expensive lavender-scented pods did not prove successful as they irritated his skin and left him with an unsightly pink rash on his arms for two weeks. Determined to never use the devil pods again, he had donated them to the sweet old lady who lived in the apartment next door and sometimes gave him coffee cake.

In an attempt to steer his mind away from the direction of cake Link slid one earbud into his ear and opened a music app on his phone. He idly popped a corn chip into his mouth and tried his best to keep himself awake (although the cold air was doing a fairly good job at that.)

Not ten minutes later the door at the laundromat's entrance opened and Link relished in the gust of warm air that blew in from the outside. It went away as quickly as it came when the door shut and another bearer of dirty clothes dragged the bundle toward the washing machines. Out of the corner of his eye he watched dark boots click across the floor with purpose, coming to a halt at the washer next to his. Eyes traveling upward Link saw that said boots belonged to a young woman and he watched silently as she loaded her laundry into the washer, inserted quarters into the tray and quickly pressed the button to start.

The woman turned around and Link couldn't help but take note of the beautiful braids in her long, light blonde hair. It had to have taken her _ages_. Not to mention they weren't just regular braids but what seemed to be an even more complicated plait he had never seen before wrapped delicately about her head. He thought back to his attempts at braiding his own red-blond hair and how it ended in disaster more often than not. How did-

Oh God, he was staring.

... Oh God, his chips were falling on the floor.

Feeling scrutinized under the woman's piercing green gaze Link grasped at his vending machine delicacies and picked the few casualties up off the floor. Fantastic- now she probably thought he was some kind of heathen. Some kind of mad man that wore coffee stained lounge pants in public, gawked at lovely people with soft hair and threw chips on the floor. _That_ kind of man.

Link felt red hot embarrassment crawl from his cheeks to the tips of his ears and he chose not to comment. He wanted to apologize, wanted to explain, wanted to tell her how envious of her hair he was, but there was certainly no coming back from that. He anticipated a well-deserved reprimand but much to his surprise, there was none. Instead the young woman sat down—leaving one empty chair between them—and took a large book out of what appeared to be a laptop bag. It was silent for what seemed like an hour to Link but was actually about fifteen seconds.

"So, do you attend the college here?"

Link fumbled to pause his music and replied, "E-Excuse me?"

"The university. Are you a student?" The girl clarified, eyes still on her book. She had donned a pair of comically thick reading glasses at some point.

"No. I mean I was," Link paused to calm his deep-fried nerves before he continued to make an ass of himself. "But my dad needed help managing his store and I'm there full-time. So..."

"I see." The woman's tone remained neutral, seemingly engrossed in the words before her.

Link swallowed a lump in his throat that he didn't realize was there. Just the thought of being judged in any capacity by this girl made him wish the earth would swallow him up and free him from this mortal plane. He stole a glance at the book in her lap in hopes of engaging in some sort of light conversation, however he wasn't as sneaky as he thought he was. Sensing his stare the young woman finally looked up.

"I'm in my final year of environmental engineering. I'd like to teach some day as well, but I'm not sure I would make a very good teacher to be honest," she blinked owlishly at him from behind her glasses. "My dad always said I lacked the patience necessary for that position. Like I was too... forward. And as much as I hate to agree with him under any circumstance, he was probably right."

Link blinked in response. "Oh. Uh, I'm sure that's not the case."

"How would you know that?" The girl asked candidly, still searching him with those large green (or were they actually hazel?) eyes.

"I-I guess I wouldn't. I mean, I don't know."

The young woman watched his hands gesticulate nervously as he spoke. She exhaled slowly through her nose before extending a hand towards him. "My name is Zelda."

He looked at the offered hand in confusion before extending his own. "Link."

"Kind of an odd name," said Zelda, giving his hand a firm shake. "Your hands are freezing, Link."

"Sorry."

Zelda's well-shaped eyebrows rose. "You're that cold?"

"No no, I'm fine. Really." Link shook his head and finally pulled the lone earbud out of his ear.

"Your arms are covered in goosebumps."

He glanced down at his arms and to his horror, his skin was littered with them. Unable to form a response he looked back to Zelda who was now staring at the ceiling. His eyes trailed upwards and saw that he was sitting right underneath an air vent.

"... Oh," he muttered. Link stood, adjusting his lounge pants as he did so, and in a moment of boldness sat in the chair on the other side of Zelda.

Much to his disappointment no other pleasantries were exchanged. Link couldn't find the words to start another conversation that wasn't awkward and Zelda appeared to be studying, mouthing sentences silently and eyes darting to and fro across the text. He found himself staring at her profile more than his cell phone- at her light olive complexion, her slightly chapped lips, the glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose only to be pushed back up by a single finger.

"Can you stop doing that?"

Her words rang through Link's concentration and left confusion in their wake. "What?"

"You do the leg jiggling thing. It drives me absolutely nuts."

Link immediately stopped the anxious habit he didn't realize he was practicing and replied, "Sorry, I can't help it."

Zelda sighed and looked at him with a weary expression. "To break an awful habit you have to actually _want_ to break it and then commit to doing so."

It was Link's turn to raise his eyebrows. "... Is it really that big of a deal?"

"It may not be to you because you're used to it," Zelda slid her glasses off of her face and into her hair. "But for the benefit of those around you it wouldn't hurt to be a little more more self-aware. I could practically hear you eating those chips a mile outside of the laundromat."

"Wh... how else am I supposed to eat them?" Link laughed a little, incredulous. "What sort of weird flaccid chips have you been eating?"

Zelda promptly shut her large textbook, making Link jump. It was then that the washer his clothes were occupying signaled the end of its cycle with one long beep. Sparing the blonde girl a look he walked over to the washer and proceeded to empty its contents into a nearby dryer. After ridding his pockets of more quartersLink made his way back to his seat.

An awkward silence hung in the air as Zelda quickly gave him a once-over and Link had a feeling it wasn't because she appreciated his fashion sense- his pants were a bit too worn and loose while his dark blue t-shirt was a touch too small. But these things happened on laundry day! And honestly, Link had never in his near-21 years of life anticipated someone as attractive (albeit... _direct_ ) as Zelda waltzing in at the same time. This was by far the most interesting laundry day he'd had since the time he found a hobo sleeping in the corner that tried to sell him half a bottle of beer and an overripe banana.

"I'm sorry. I admit that sometimes I can be a little... blunt," said Zelda. "It's like I was saying- I would make a _terrible_ teacher."

Link felt his heart sink in his chest. Sure, he didn't really know her very well and she _did_ have an odd manor of speaking that he wasn't quite prepared for. Nevertheless there was an earnest and curious nature about her that captivated him. He hated seeing anyone so down on themselves but especially this weird laundromat girl.

"You could teach me."

Zelda looked up from her nails. "What?"

"Teach me something. I'm sure you're better at it than you give yourself credit for."

"You want me to teach _you_ environmental engineering?"

"Uhh, maybe not that," Link quickly waved off the suggestion. "But I'd love it if you could teach me how to braid my hair like yours."

The young woman mulled over the proposal in her head. "I suppose I could... it's not too complicated. Do you have enough hair for it?"

Link reached for the band that kept his low ponytail in place and pulled it out, freeing his shoulder-length blond hair. He had kept it rather long for the majority of his life with the occasional need for change resulting in a shorter haircut, immediately followed by intense regret.

He ran a hand through the thick locks and shook them out. "You tell me."

"Hmm." Leaning in a little too close for comfort Zelda judged the length of his hair as if it were some kind of experiment. Link could see the flecks of golden brown in her green eyes (definitely hazel, he mused) and he broke eye contact instantly. He didn't even want to think about her reaction to his blatant staring for a third time and chose to focus on the row of dryers instead, praying to whatever deity was willing to listen that his ever-present blush wasn't obvious.

It was in that moment that the washer containing Zelda's clothes decided that it was finished. She paused her assessment and slid out of the chair to tend to her laundry. Link kept his attention focused on the other machines as he regained his composure and listened for the faint jingling of quarters.

Upon her return Zelda replied, "I don't think all of your hair would fit in this braid but we could probably do a smaller one on the side. Here, hold this."

She rifled through her laptop bag, pulled out a small travel mirror and offered it to Link. He held it up as Zelda hovered behind him like a proper hairstylist and continued. "So this braid- it's very similar to a french braid, except you cross the hair underneath the middle instead of on top of it."

Link watched her reflection in the mirror and laughed nervously. "I've never been very good at french braids. Or any braid other than the basic one to be honest."

With little warning Zelda took it upon herself to carefully grab a small section of hair at his right ear and divide it into three.

"First things first- you start out with a basic braid, like this. And then as you go along you add more and more hair to each section. Cross it underneath the middle section instead of on top as you normally would. That's what makes it sort of 'pop.' It's a bit trickier to do on yourself, I'll admit. But keep going until..."

Link watched her long, slender fingers weave the pattern into his reddish-blond hair, starting at his ear and progressing backward along the side of his head. It had been ages since he had someone play with his hair and he savored how soothing it was. It was a good thing she wasn't braiding his whole head or he probably would've fallen asleep right then and there.

Soon the braid Zelda was crafting reached the nape of his neck and she began to braid the remaining hair normally. Once the plait was completed she held out her hand and Link placed his hairband into her palm. With a few quick loops the braid was secured and Zelda grabbed the mirror to gently angle it so he could see better.

"All finished," she said. "What's the verdict? Think you could do this on your own?"

Link couldn't help but grin as he admired her handiwork. "Well I stand more of a chance than when I walked in here this morning, that's for sure."

"It suits you," Zelda replied. "Your hair is quite pretty. A bit uneven so I had trouble with a few stubborn strands, but pretty all the same."

That was all it took for Link's blush to return in full-force. She actually said he was _pretty_ \- er, that his hair was pretty at least. But that was basically the same thing, wasn't it? He quickly shut down his internal monologue before his brain ran away with any ideas. He ran a finger along the braid gently as if trying to decipher what magic Zelda used to make his rebellious hair conform.

"Well then there's your homework for tonight. I expect a perfect braid from you—not a hair out of place—complete with a full five-page report, single-spaced, on the artistry of braiding and its cultural significance throughout history."

"Ha! Funny." Link rolled his eyes. _... Wait, is she serious?_

There was a loud beep and Zelda glanced back at the row of dryers behind her. "Sounds like your clothes are done."

Link stopped admiring his new well-crafted hairstyle and stood, setting the mirror on the chair. Upon standing both he and Zelda simultaneously realized that he had to look up to meet her eyes.

"God, you're... tall," Link sputtered.

"Am I tall or are you just short?" Zelda's hand rested on the curve of her hip as she made a point to look down at him.

Link scoffed and started walking towards the dryer. "No, I'm pretty sure you're just giant."

"Huh! Is that any way to talk to the stylist that just tamed that ridiculous mane of yours?"

"I thought you said my hair was _pretty_." He heard Zelda respond with a world-weary sigh as he scooped his clothes out of the dryer and into a white laundry bag. He briefly considered making a nest out of the warm clothing and taking a nap.

"I've only got about two inches on you," she said. "It's not that big of a deal."

Link couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. It wasn't as if he actually cared that he was shorter than she was- not only had he grown used to his less-than-average height by this point, he had been appreciating Zelda's long legs since the moment she walked in.

Once he relieved the dryer of his clothes he tightened the drawstrings on the bag and let it rest on the floor. The thing had to weigh nearly 40 pounds and Link recalled the short but arduous trek from his apartment to the laundromat. How long had it been since he had done laundry? Three weeks, a month? It was amazing what a little procrastination and anxiety could accomplish.

Zelda's dryer went off shortly after and she proceeded to empty her laundry into her own white bag. It looked equally heavy and Link wondered if perhaps Zelda could have been as neglectful as he had been. That certainly didn't match his initial impression of her but she did appear to be aggressively studious. Perhaps she was one to be neglectful when her nose was in a good book or she was knee deep in essays. He smiled a little at the thought.

"I should've included more of your hair in the braid and had you replicate it on the other side. Then you could have had pigtails." Zelda's voice derailed his train of thought and he saw that she too had abandoned her hefty bag of laundry.

"Hard pass." he replied.

Zelda grinned. "Perhaps you'd like to try the braid yourself anyway? Just to prove that you were actually paying attention and not seconds away from nodding off."

"Uhh... I guess so," Link scratched at his earlobe nervously. He _had_ been paying attention! But she wasn't entirely wrong- he was seconds away from nodding off even before he arrived at the laundromat.

Zelda sat in the chair next to him and held the mirror up so he could see. "Here."

Suddenly Link was met with his own round blue eyes staring back at him and he reached for a section of hair on the left side, opposite of neat plait Zelda had made. He cautiously split the section into three and tried not to focus on the scent of perfume Zelda was wearing or her focused gaze. Did she really have to watch that closely? Honestly, couldn't she have just propped the mirror up on her mountain of textbooks? Wasn't she in school to be an engineer of some kind? Couldn't she have just _built_ something-

"Relax. If you stare at that mirror any harder you're going to break it," Zelda's voice once again broke his concentration. "Then you'll owe me another one."

Link sighed through his nose and mentally shook himself. He began to braid normally and then tried to include the other locks of hair as he went along. It was proving to be difficult and he found that his normally steady fingers were fumbling up the works. It was confusing braiding backwards along the side of his head and crossing the sections of hair underneath each other. Normally one to adapt to new things easily, he felt himself growing frustrated.

"Wait." Zelda made a 'stop' gesture with her free hand and set down the mirror.

Removing her glasses and reaching for the braids in her own hair, Zelda began to take out the bobby pins that were so meticulously arranged to keep her braids in place. She removed the hairbands that secured them and then moved her fingers along the braids, gently pulling them apart. Link watched in interest as the braids were undone and left behind soft, wavy locks. The hair cascaded down to the middle of her back and shone impossibly gold underneath the fluorescent lights.

Link looked at her with feigned curiosity as if he didn't realize her intentions. He had exactly zero complaints with letting her fix his hair but when the roles were reversed, he simply didn't feel like he was worthy of doing such a thing to hers. Her braids were just so... _damn_ _ed_ _immaculate_ and he was about to tangle it up at best.

Or perhaps he was overthinking it.

Zelda sat still in waiting and when Link made no move, she cocked an eyebrow in his direction. He got the message and arranged himself closer to her to get a better angle. Zelda held up the mirror and Link gently took a smooth section of hair between his fingers. Gathering his resolve he split it into three and began to work, trying to recall everything Zelda had taught him beforehand. He gradually leaned closer as he became immersed in his progress and Zelda's eyes flitted back and forth between his look of concentration, her hair in his hands and the wall of windows on the other side of the room. She tried to reign in her discerning nature but in the quiet she found herself noting the off-color paint used to patch the walls, his slender fingers, his numerous earrings, the ambient hum of the air conditioning, the barest hint of freckles across his nose.

It took him longer than he would have liked but after nearly ten minutes Link was finished with the braid. He didn't realize how tense the concentration had made him and he stretched not unlike a cat as he leaned back to appraise his work. It wasn't perfect by any means- crooked and uneven with long strands of hair escaping and even the basic braid at the end looked a bit haphazard. However he was pleasantly surprised to see that the signature look of the braid was there.

Link gave a small shrug and held out his hands as if presenting a gift.

Zelda moved the mirror around to view her hair from several angles. When she was finished she glanced at him in the reflection and said, "What do you think of it?"

"Well, it's..." Link started, not prepared to self-grade. "I mean, it's really crooked. Obviously. But it's not the worst I've ever done. Y-Your hair is so pretty that it saved it, I think."

A small smile tugged at Zelda's lips at the compliment. "Thank you. Personally, I think you did very well for your first attempt. In fact, I think I'm going to wear it out."

"... Really?" Link said. "And risk judgement from the greater metro area?"

"Oh honestly, it's not that bad. You said so yourself," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Surely I've been judged for far worse."

It was Link's turn to raise an eyebrow as he stood and wiped imaginary dust from his pants. "Seems my previous assessment was correct- you are a pretty good teacher. I think you should seriously consider picking up another degree to add to your collection."

Zelda couldn't explain why that particular comment brought heat to her face as she started to put away her mirror and study tools. Throughout her life she had countless others comment on her intelligence and how excited they were to see what her future held. Her late father had even been supportive until a point. She was a scholar through and through and it seemed to come naturally to her. However there were times when Zelda felt like she was viewed simply as an asset. The only conversations she seemed to have with others were rooted in her college choices, her father's organization and how her future self fit into the grand scheme of business. Not only was it exhausting, it made her feel trapped.

She couldn't remember exactly when her call to become a teacher began, but attending private school had given her access to some truly wonderful professors that encouraged her curiosity and provided an outlet for her creativity. She greatly admired them for their knowledge and how they so eagerly wanted to pass it on to the following generations. Although some of them could be a little on the eccentric side (especially Dr. Purah and her subordinate Robbie, who were borderline dangerous when they put their heads together,) they fostered within her a desire to understand the natural world and see to it that others did the same.

The validation felt nice. That someone could see her passion and talent just from an hour or so at the laundromat- it made her heart warm and her stomach flutter.

When her things were put away Zelda turned toward the dryers where Link was getting his own belongings together. He put the single earbud back into his ear in hopes that music would give him some sort of motivation to make the trip back home with a heavy sack full of clothes like a modern day Santa Claus.

Each of them grabbed a white bag and settled it on their shoulders. Neither knew exactly what to say as their time at the laundromat drew to a close. Adjusting the phone in his pocket, Link looked up to her and said, "Thank you for helping me. I know it wasn't super complicated or anything but I appreciate it."

"It's no trouble. Needless to say this was probably the least boring trip to the laundromat I've ever had," she replied. "Make sure to keep practicing. I expect two full pigtails next time."

"Don't count on it," Link laughed. "I guess... I'll be seeing you?"

Zelda nodded, smiling. They made their way to the front door of the building and Zelda exited first, giving a small wave before following the sidewalk to the left. Link waved back and watched her leave until her form disappeared within the small crowds of people. His hand reached for the end of his braid, fidgeting with it as he departed to the right and began the journey back to his apartment complex.

—

"Back just in time," a statuesque woman with golden tanned skin remarked as Zelda walked through the doorway. She was tending to something on the stove and paused to taste the meal she was preparing.

Whatever she was stirring bore the rich scent of spices and herbs that weaved its way throughout the small apartment. Zelda decided it could be either chili or curry but found she had no preference one way or the other. She felt her stomach growl and decided that folding laundry was no longer a priority.

"Did you enjoy your trip to the laundromat?" the woman asked.

"Oh, I always do." Zelda replied sarcastically, throwing her bag of laundry to some far off corner of the room. She rested her laptop bag against the wall and removed her boots, setting them aside.

The tall woman laughed loudly. "Good to hear! This should be ready in just a few minutes. Your mom was off doing something or other for work but she's hiding around here somewhere."

Zelda smiled and set off to accomplish her new goal of getting comfortable. Upon entering her room she removed her purple cardigan and leggings, opting for an old oversized t-shirt and lounge shorts. She reached up to take her hair down out of habit but a look in the mirror made her pause. There was a pressure in her chest at the sight of the messy braid and her hand fell instantly. She would leave it, at least until nighttime.

She left her room and made her way to the kitchen where bowls of the rich-scented chili were being set out. Just as Zelda was about to reach the table her mother made an appearance, emerging from the office she and the tanned woman both shared. Her long, dark blonde hair was a bit frazzled and she looked tired but a good natured smile spread across her face at the sight of her daughter.

"Hey! How's my girl?" her mother reached an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. "How goes laundry day?"

"Every bit of exciting as it usually is," said Zelda. She took a seat at the table and eyed the bowl in front of her hungrily.

"Urbosa and I will make it down there one of these days." her mother leaned in to give the tall woman a quick kiss, for which the other had to lean down to receive.

"We should've just sent all our clothes with her. I reckon she could handle about four of those bags, don't you think?" Urbosa finished setting the table and took her own seat across from Zelda.

Zelda rolled her eyes as her mother laughed and sat down at the head of the table so she could face the other two women. Now that everyone was finally seated Zelda took it upon herself to dig into her meal. There was a moment of quiet as they took their first bites.

"So," Urbosa eventually broke the silence. "What's with the... braid? If you wanna call it that."

"Huh?" Zelda replied before recalling her new hairstyle. "Oh. You don't like it?"

"No, I love it actually. It's just as I taught you." Urbosa ate another spoonful of chili.

Zelda sighed. "All right. There was another person at the laundromat and he wanted to learn how to braid so I decided to teach him out of the kindness of my heart. I let him practice on my hair."

"Wait, 'him?'" Urbosa said. "You taught him that one instead of a traditional _voe_ braid? Oy."

"He wanted to learn this one! And besides, his hair wasn't long enough for any style. They're all so complicated. I could only braid a small portion of his to begin with."

Zelda's mother broke away from her dinner to join the conversation. "Was he cute?"

"Oh, Goddess, I knew we were gonna go down this path," Zelda dramatically raised a hand to her forehead.

"I mean, these are very important details we need to know, right Zee?" Urbosa said to Zelda's mother who nodded fervently. 'Zelda' was a family name that both her and her mother shared and Urbosa often called her mother 'Zee' to distinguish the two.

"Absolutely."

Letting her spoon drop in her bowl, Zelda replied, "Maybe. I don't know. He _was_ very nice, however I could tell he was nervous and he did that leg jiggling nonsense that I hate with a passion."

"Hey, your mother does that leg jiggling nonsense and I still love her most days," Urbosa replied and Zelda's mother kicked her lightly underneath the table. "Did you at least get his number?"

Zelda froze. They didn't even exchange numbers.

_Why_?

Urbosa took Zelda's sudden silence as confirmation, "You _didn't_ get his number? What kind of 20-something are you? Even your mother and I exchanged information when we met and people only communicated by carrier pigeon back then."

Her mother snickered. How in the world did that happen? She hadn't even taken her cell phone out once while she was away. Wasn't that what normal people did when they met, exchange numbers? How frustrating.

Zelda sighed heavily for the umpteenth time that day. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be then."

"Oh hush, little bird. You're giving up too easily," Urbosa said, reaching out to brush back some of Zelda's hair. "It's a small world. You'll figure something out. Right Zee?"

"Absolutely. Seconds on that chili, ma'am."

Urbosa laughed. "Coming right up."

-

After dinner Zelda figured she might as well get her laundry sorted. Her motivation had taken quite a hit upon realizing that she had no way to reach out to the young man she had met earlier, but leaving her clothes rumpled up in a bag made her unsettled. So she took out her phone and decided to play some music in an attempt to lift her spirits as she folded.

Once the music started she made herself comfortable on the floor of her room and loosened the drawstrings on the laundry bag.

What she found in said bag was not what she expected.

—

The timer on the microwave beeped three times before turning off. Link was sprawled out on the couch reading the text he had just received from his father that included his work schedule for the upcoming week. The text was short and to the point, much to Link's dismay- his father had never completely forgiven him for moving out on his own nearly a year ago. In person they got along well enough but they were different people. The very definition of a workaholic, his father was the manager of a small local store that his family had owned for generations. It was quite successful and Link had dropped out of college to help with management. It paid well enough and Link felt guilty for complaining, but it certainly wasn't ideal for him.

He stared at his schedule until his hunger finally won him over and he rose from the couch. Apparently his meager lunch of floor chips didn't tide him over very well. Entering the kitchen, he opened the microwave door and removed the steamed chicken and vegetable dinner from inside. Link actually loved to cook and would even go as far as to consider himself a chef, but he was too hungry and tired after a long day to work in a hot kitchen.

Waving his hand over the bowl in an attempt to cool it down a little, Link took his dinner back to the couch. In the corner of the room sat his white laundry bag full of clothes waiting to be folded and he made a mental note to do just that after he finished his dinner... or perhaps a little while after. He turned on the television and dug in.

Two hours later the sun was beginning to set, painting warm orange and pink hues onto the walls of the apartment. Link sat on the floor with his laundry bag and cracked his knuckles. It was time to complete one of his least favorite chores. He pulled the bag open and a certain familiar scent met his nostrils.

Throughly confused, Link peered into the bag. One of the first items to greet him was a soft pink tank top. Even more confused, he dug around and pulled out a few of its contents- the pink tank top, one sock and a lace-trimmed bra. They all carried the scent of lavender.

_..._ Lavender?

Link let out a shriek and quickly threw the items into the great beyond in fear for his skin.

-

_How am I supposed to fix this?_ Link thought miserably, hands buried in his fringe. The braid in his hair still remained as neat as it had been at the laundromat hours ago and he ran his fingers along the length of it. _I didn't even get her number! What a complete dumbass. I can't believe it... You know what, forget it. It would've been more amazing if I actually got her number._

As if that weren't bad enough the full weight of the situation hit him like a sack of bananas- if he had her clothes, that meant she most certainly had his. Link's stomach turned uncomfortably. This was not ideal.

He had to find her.

His heart thudded in his ears as he wracked his brain for a solution. What was her name again? _Zelda!_ How could he forget? As for her last name of course, well, he had no idea. Link searched frantically for his phone which he eventually found squished between the couch cushions. Sitting on the couch, he quickly opened his primary social media app and was met with a plethora messages he intended to get to eventually. He typed the name 'Zelda' into the search. Surely there wouldn't be too many results- the name was so old fashioned.

Boy was he wrong. Taking a deep breath, he began to scroll through the 223 search results in hopes that the woman's profile photo would be recognizable.

He tried to be diligent, careful not to scroll too fast or overlook any of the profiles. Zelda Gaepora, Zelda Nohansen, Zelda Harkinian. Many had light brown hair, some were blonde, two had red hair. All rather attractive. Why on the Goddess's green earth were there so many? He couldn't tell if he was trapped in a dream or a nightmare.

Six minutes later and Link was not any closer to finding the right one. Just as he was about to throw in the towel, one name caught his eye- 'Hyrule.' He recognized the name instantly as it belonged to a notoriously wealthy family in the area. It had been quite a shock when the father had passed away suddenly many years ago and although he didn't know much about the family, the announcement was featured on every news outlet he came across. Lost in thought, he glanced at the profile picture attached to the last name.

He was absolutely going to throw up.

What in the world was the daughter of one of the richest families in the city doing at a laundromat? And he touched her _hair!_

"Ohhh God," Link groaned aloud as his finger hovered over the link to her profile. He knew it had to be done but was having trouble biting the bullet.

What was he supposed say? What if she was going through his clothes at that very moment, judging every single article from his underwear to his beloved lobster-patterned pink button up shirt? She was probably in a mansion somewhere chock-full of Zeldas receiving some prime entertainment. Link shook his head to clear his mind. No, she wasn't like that. Sure he had only just met her but she was undoubtedly a kind person. A bit frank, but kind. She wouldn't do such a thing.

Then he remembered _that_ was in the bag.

He quickly pressed her name and was met with her profile. There was not much to see as it was, expectedly, closed off to the public. That meant he had to friend her in order to send her a message. Link took in a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly. He clicked on the "add friend" button and thankfully was given the option to add a message so he could feel less like a creep.

He started the message countless times in his head. Finally after a few minutes, he began to type.

> "hi Zelda! this is Link from the laundromat. i think there has been a mix up and i just wanted to apologize. would you like to meet up sometime and exchange laundry bags? just let me know. i hope you're having a good day :^)"

_Good enough,_ he thought.

He gnawed on nail after nail waiting for a response. On the one hand, he supposed he should distract himself before he chewed right through each of his fingers. On the other hand, fat chance of him being productive in any capacity with the way his gut was tying itself in knots. He was starting to regret eating dinner. Instead he went to his own profile with the intention of cleaning it up should it showcase anything incriminating for Zelda to discover later. He had a bit of a selfie addiction, and hey, who didn't? However hindsight was 20/20 and maybe he could have been a _little_ more discreet when it came to what he posted online. Link clicked on his album of profile pictures and braced himself.

At least his current one was acceptable. It was a photo that his longtime friend Mipha had taken of the two of them sitting on her porch and grinning at the camera. The summer sun had turned her beautiful cherry-red hair into fire and, well... frankly it just made Link look sweaty. Mipha was clearly the star of this picture but Link had loved it all the same. He thumbed through a few of the other photos until he landed on the inevitable one of him shirtless on a camping trip to the mountains, showing off the tent he set up all the while sporting a nasty looking sunburn. Link was at war with himself on that one- it had good memories attached to it. He and his friend Revali held a competition to see who could set their tent up the fastest. Not only was Link the fastest, his tent looked better to boot. (He vaguely recalled some gloating on his part and Revali smacking his sunburned shoulders but that wasn't on camera so it didn't matter.) After some deliberation Link decided Zelda didn't need a full view of his lanky physique and he set the photo to 'private.'

Next there was a photo of him well-dressed and sitting at his work desk, another photo guest starring Mipha with their faces painted, an "artistic" shot of him sitting on his bed holding a guitar, a photo with his old boyfriend...

Oh,  _that_ could go. Link scowled as he obliterated the photo from his profile.

Not five minutes later he received the notification he had been anticipating. Clicking on the icon in the corner of the app, Link breathed a small sigh of relief that Zelda had accepted his friend request. (Not that there was really any doubt that she would, unless she didn't want her clothes back.)

His phone emitted a short melodic tone and he opened his messages.

> "Hello, Link. It's great to hear from you. My day has been interesting to say the least. I was worried when I realized I hadn't given you my number and I can't believe that I didn't think to look you up here. We should definitely meet up asap"

Link felt his shoulders relax and his heart rate dip back to normal levels. At least Zelda didn't seem upset or angry, but on the other hand it was difficult to tell via text. A small grin graced his features involuntarily- he was going to see her again! His heart rate shot back up immediately.

Worrying on his bottom lip in thought he began typing a reply.

> "i agree. are you free tomorrow? i can give you the address to my apartment if you would feel comfortable with that. i love cooking so i could make us some dinner if you would like. no pressure tho. i just feel really bad about the whole thing"

He soon received a response:

> "I would like that, thank you"

Link sent her his address and then collapsed into the couch. He was both thrilled and terrified but most importantly, eager to get his clothes back. Unfortunately missing a significant portion of his wardrobe meant Zelda would once again be seeing him in old loungewear and looking like a total ragamuffin, but after that? There _was_ a chance that she wouldn't be entirely turned off by the whole experience and would want to see him again, right? Regardless, he would do his best to turn the situation into a positive one. He would go to the store early the next morning and decide what exactly to make for their dinner. Link peeled himself off of the couch and made his way to the bedroom.

There was only one thing left to do and that was to practice his braiding.

—

Zelda woke the next morning with an odd tinge of excitement. She worked diligently to put together a respectable outfit with what clothes she had (thankfully she hadn't procrastinated on doing laundry for so long that she had to wash ninety-percent of her wardrobe like some people she wouldn't mention.) Laying a few of her choices out on her bed, she weighed her options. Would this be considered a date or was Link simply trying to be kind? Obviously he felt responsible for the mix up but Zelda shared the blame as well. Link came off as the type to beat himself up for such things on the regular and she hoped he didn't worry himself sick over it the previous day. Not to mention she had been quite short with him at the laundromat and Zelda couldn't imagine him wanting to be much more than acquaintances after that.

She decided on a baby blue cardigan (how did she come to own so many cardigans?) with a sleeveless white button-up blouse and a light gray floral skater skirt. Casual enough, but still well put-together. She would change into the outfit when the evening grew closer.

Leaving her room in search of breakfast, Zelda spotted Urbosa sitting at the kitchen table with an array of manila folders and applications strewn about before her. It was obviously business-related and while they had a small office room in their apartment, sometimes Urbosa would work at the table while her mother took the office. Urbosa held women's fitness classes at the local gym and to say she was successful would be an understatement. (Zelda would attend a class or two occasionally, but did not find the same joy in kickboxing & excessive sweating as her very athletic step-mother.) Zelda's mother handled the more technical side of things including advertising, sponsorships and finances.

Careful not to disturb Urbosa while she worked, Zelda made a beeline for the bread with the intention of making toast. She was not as stealthy as she had hoped, however.

"Morning, Zelda." Urbosa said as she shuffled a stack of papers.

"Morning," She popped two pieces of bread into the toaster.

The red-haired woman angled herself in her seat to see what Zelda was up to. "I could hear you digging around in your closet. Excited about tonight?"

Zelda felt her cheeks redden in mild embarrassment. "I suppose, but I don't want to make a big deal out of this. We obviously have to meet up and he's making dinner as an apology. It wouldn't be right to place unnecessary expectations on him."

"I get it. But," Urbosa twirled her pen in her fingers. "That's an awful lot of effort to put in for some harmless mix up. He doesn't even live that far away, does he? You could've just met in the street, exchanged the bags and been on your way."

"Y-Yes but-"

"I'm not trying to put pressure on him or your 'meeting,'" the woman raised her hands defensively. "I'm just saying you should be prepared for the possibility that he might be hoping for a little bit more out of this than just his laundry."

Zelda leaned against the counter. "I can't see that happening to be honest."

"Why not? You're a tall leggy blonde, what's not to like?"

" _Urbosa_ ," Zelda rolled her eyes and jumped a little when her breakfast popped out of the toaster. "I was pretty rude to him at the laundromat. If I were him I wouldn't want anything to do with me either."

Urbosa let her pen drop to the table and sighed. "My little bird, I wish you could see yourself as others do. You are inquisitive and honest and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. There are some people in this world that may not be able to appreciate that, sure. But they are assholes and we don't talk to them."

Zelda tried to hold back a laugh but was mostly unsuccessful and ended up snorting instead. "I guess."

"You know I'm right. And you never told us if he was cute or not so I demand answers."

Taking a seat at the table with some butter and her plate of toast, Zelda rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "I guess! Yes!" She grabbed her phone, brought Link's profile onscreen and showed her eagerly-awaiting step-mother. "Happy?"

Urbosa squinted at the profile photo and then her eyes widened in recognition. "Ah! I know him! Well, not really, but I know his father. He owns that little store on the corner of 10th Street. They're the only ones that carry jicama in this damned city."

Zelda put her phone away and began making quick work of her breakfast while Urbosa continued. "He seems like a good guy. Hardworking at least from what little I've seen. Ridiculously handsome too- I don't know what all this 'I guess-ing' was about. Certainly not what I was expecting from your description."

The young woman continued chewing her toast and gave Urbosa a pointed look.

"What? I'm just saying."

Zelda was sure that if she rolled her eyes any more that morning they would fall right out of her head. Urbosa answered her with only a grin, and after a few seconds of silence Zelda found it contagious.

-

As the evening drew closer Zelda began to make herself look presentable. She really wasn't one for wearing much make up but she figured this would be as good a time as any to put her skills to the test. She didn't want the makeup to be _too_ heavy lest this outing prove to be nothing more than a good-natured gesture between new friends, but Zelda found no harm in drawing a little attention to her features. She could have easily gone to her mothers for assistance but already thoroughly embarrassed by the whole affair, she settled for tutorial videos.

She applied a base of foundation, a little brown eyeliner, some mascara and a peach-pink lipstick all the while silently thanking the Goddesses that blessed her with naturally full eyebrows. After her makeup was sorted Zelda donned the outfit she had prepared earlier, straightening out her skirt and making sure her cardigan was free of wrinkles. Her hair was the final step. She chose a style similar to the one from the day before, wrapping the braids in an intricate pattern around the crown of her head and leaving the rest down. Glancing at herself in the mirror and confirming that everything was in order, she grabbed the laundry bag full of Link's clothes and made for the door.

His apartment complex was about about two blocks away to the right of hers. It had been awhile since Zelda had visited his block given that it was mostly residential and that area of town was not as well-kept. This made her a bit nervous but at least she could probably ask Link to walk her back to her apartment later if it grew too dark. (And his gigantic bag of clothes made a nice weapon if nothing else.)

Once Zelda reached the complex (she hoped it was the right one- heaven help her if she showed up at the wrong apartment) she took the elevator to the fourth floor. She repeated the apartment number in her head for the duration of the ride. _4F, 4F, 4F._ Walking down the long hallway she watched the letters on the doors tick up until she reached her destination. Zelda paused in front of the door, smoothed her skirt once again, took in the deepest breath she could muster and rang the doorbell.

There was the sound of something plastic falling to the floor from inside the apartment and Zelda could hear Link's muffled voice shout, "One second!"

At least she found the right apartment.

Not ten seconds later Zelda heard the door unlock and it opened quickly. There stood Link, looking lightly flushed with a spatula in his hand and dressed in a pair of gray lounge pants that were not as worn as his previous pair. He wore a fitted black t-shirt this time and save for the lack of color in his ensemble, Zelda thought it oddly suited him. Even so it definitely made her feel overdressed despite her best efforts.

"Hi," he replied. She watched his blue eyes flit over her briefly. "Y-You look great. I would've put more care into my outfit myself but... y'know."

He gestured to the bag of laundry in her hand with his spatula. Oh, right. No wonder he was dressed the way he was. It was almost as if she had forgotten the entire point of their meeting.

"That's understandable. And thank you," Zelda smiled a little. It was then that she took note of his hair (some of which was stuck to his forehead from what she assumed was the heat of the kitchen.) On each side of his head was a braid not unlike the one she had taught him the day before. Both were small and continued into his ponytail while the rest of his hair hung down above his shoulders. They were still a bit messy but he had no doubt improved. "I see you've been practicing."

Link looked as if he had no idea what she was talking about and then the realization hit him. "Oh! Yeah, most of yesterday actually. And this morning. So what grade would you give me?"

"Hmm," Zelda pretended to deep in thought and crossed her arms. "B."

"B?" his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "After all that?"

"B plus."

Link rested the hand holding the spatula on his hip. "Wow... Do you grade on a curve, Ms. Zelda?"

"Come see me after class and we'll discuss it." Zelda replied jokingly, if not a little suggestively.

His eyes widened half a fraction, not certain if that came out the way she intended. "... Oh! Well, I might just do that."

Link looked lost in thought and Zelda waited a few seconds before clearing her throat and looking past him, into the apartment. He nearly collapsed on the spot as he came back to reality, waving his spatula around frantically. "Shit! I-I mean, sorry! Here. You can come in. This is almost done."

He stepped back and held the door as Zelda dragged his bag of clothes behind her. She set them off to the side as Link shut the door and went to tend to the food he was making. Zelda couldn't quite place what was cooking but regardless it smelled amazing- like rosemary and garlic. She glanced at the small dining table and saw that it was already modestly set with plates and silverware.

"You're welcome to sit there," Link said as he pulled open the oven door. He grabbed the baking dish inside with two oven mitt-clad hands, removed it with some effort and set it atop the stove. "I think it's finished."

Zelda took her seat at the table and watched as he scrambled around the kitchen. He still seemed a little nervous but at least appeared to know what he was doing. She watched him grab a large sharp knife and quickly begin slicing a lemon on a cutting board. When he didn't chop his fingers off she relaxed.

"I guess I should've consulted with you first before I just whipped something up, but I tried to pick something that wasn't too experimental." Link disappeared beneath the counter to get something out of a cabinet before comically popping back up and looking at her very seriously. "You're not a vegetarian are you?"

Zelda stifled a laugh at his genuine concern. "No, I'm not. And you don't need to worry about being 'experimental.' My step-mother performs food experiments all the time and I can say with confidence that I've never met a dish I didn't like."

"That's good." he replied. He brought a small pitcher of water over and poured them each a glass before setting it on the table.

Link stole the two plates, took them to the counter by the stove and started to set the food on them. Once he was finished he brought them back to the table, setting a plate in front of her.

"It's chicken. Well, with rosemary, garlic, olive oil and red pepper. And lemon," he paused, eyes searching the table before he went back to the counter to grab the dish of lemon slices. He placed a single slice on each of their plates. "I also added some mushrooms and asparagus. But uh, you can probably see that."

Zelda's eyes grew large at the display in front of her. She hadn't expected such a sincere effort and to say the smell of the food was good enough to make her cry a little would have been an understatement. Why wasn't this boy working at a restaurant? Had he at some point? She made a mental note to inquire about this later.

"This looks... amazing," she said. "I'm very impressed." Flabbergasted was more like it.

"Thank you," he replied, twisting his oven mitt in his hands. "I hope you like it."

Link took his own seat and watched as Zelda set her napkin in her lap, prompting him to do the same. He took a bite of chicken and chewed thoughtfully. Okay, so he could've eased up on the rosemary a bit. But other than that it wasn't overcooked and he could distinctly taste all of the flavors coming through and complimenting one another. He squeezed a small bit of lemon onto his asparagus and stole a glance at Zelda, who was sprinkling lemon juice over all of the food on her plate.

"Lemon fan, I take it?" he asked.

Zelda looked up at him sheepishly. "I actually love lemon so this dish is perfect."

Link grinned and turned his attention back to his food. She looked so cute his heart was close to bursting and he was in dire need of a distraction.

After a few minutes he heard Zelda say, "You sure do eat fast."

Blinking, he looked to her in surprise and then down at his plate of mostly demolished chicken. "Sorry, I was really hungry. I was too anxious to eat this morning so working on this all evening nearly did me in."

"Anxious? What were you anxious about?"

"Well, I mean..." Link stuttered. "Like... it's not everyday I get to cook for a beautiful woman. A-And I mean that in a strictly respectful way. I just wanted this to be nice after I, well, stole your clothes."

"I stole yours too, you know," Zelda replied. "It was a simple mistake- nothing to beat yourself up over. But it had a good outcome, don't you think?"

Link nodded. "Definitely."

The two enjoyed a comfortable silence as Zelda made more headway on her meal. Link was close to being finished before he said, "I guess I could've changed into some nicer clothes now that they're here. Although you've probably seen them all at this point and know that I don't actually own any."

"Oh I did no such thing," Zelda's cheeks reddened and she took a sip of water.

"Really? W-Well, I didn't look at yours either! All I know is that you use those lavender detergent pods and I feel like it's my duty to inform you that they can do _terrible_ things to your skin."

"I've yet to have a problem with them, honestly. My entire family uses them. Your skin must be sensitive."

Link chewed on a mushroom thoughtfully. Zelda watched him for a brief moment, wanting to say more but falling short. He had turned his attention back to what remained of his dinner and she found herself fascinated by his mannerisms- like the way he would continuously tuck his fringe behind his ears only to have it fall back half a second later. Or how he fidgeted with his earring every so often. It felt as if every minute that ticked by he grew more endeared to her and for once she had trouble finding the words.

"I've... really enjoyed this evening with you, Link," Zelda said gently. "I mean that. This was so much more than I anticipated but I was also nervous."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes. I was looking forward to it of course, but I wasn't sure if... we had similar intentions."

Link swallowed hard and tried to force himself to form a coherent sentence. "Uh... What... what were yours? If you don't mind me asking."

Zelda twirled a long, smooth section of hair between her fingers and gauged her options. She could tell him the truth, or she could round the question back on him. In any other given situation she probably would have done the latter. She glanced up at Link and found his expression indecipherable except for the faintest hint of worry on his brow. It was then that she noticed the slight tint of purple underneath his eyes and how tired he looked. It made something in her chest clench- she didn't like this look on him and Zelda found herself wanting to smooth it away.

"I think," she paused for a moment to give him a reassuring smile. "That I would like to do this again sometime."

His face slowly relaxed in understanding. "You would?"

"I would."

Link settled into his default wide-eyed expression as he leaned back in his chair, evidently stunned. Zelda laughed. "Don't look so shocked!"

"I'm sorry, I just," he ran a hand through his fringe. "I didn't expect you to share the same feelings. Not in a million years."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know! You're just... I know your family is..." Link sighed. He raised one hand above his head and held the other around his chest area. "You're here and I'm like, here."

"Oh, please! Do you honestly think that something as ridiculous as financial or social status matters?" Zelda said. "You've got a lot to learn about me."

Link's ears flushed red and he smiled in spite of his mild embarrassment. "I suppose I do."

Zelda rested her chin in her hands. "And I have a lot to learn about you as well. Other than your impressive cooking skills that is."

"Frankly that's all you need to know."

"There is something else I know."

Link popped another mushroom into his mouth. "What's that?"

"You would look adorable in that outfit you had in your bag."

He bit down on the mushroom a little too hard and narrowly missed his tongue. " _Oh!_ ... Well... so would you."

Zelda snorted involuntarily and they both broke into a fit of laughter. They didn't stop until there were tears in their eyes and Link started having a coughing fit and quickly had to down his water. He tried to compose himself but the absurdity of the situation wouldn't let him.

Once he sobered up it hit him.

"Wait, I thought you said you didn't go through my clothes?"

"... Like I said, you've got a lot to learn about me."

**Author's Note:**

> I have a real thing for Link and Zelda braiding each other's hair.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
